PacketFence vs Genian NAC

PacketFence8.5Visit GNGenian NAC7.8Visit

Higher score PacketFence #7 in Network Access Control Software 8.5/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit PacketFence

vs

GN Genian NAC #11 in Network Access Control Software 7.8/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Genian NAC

• PacketFence fits best

  Budget-conscious teams wanting full-featured NAC

• Genian NAC fits best

  Teams wanting broad NAC with a free plan

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Side by side

Feature	PacketFence 8.5/10 Visit ↗	GNGenian NAC 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	7.8
Ranking	#7 in Network Access Control Software	#11 in Network Access Control Software
Best for	Budget-conscious teams wanting full-featured NAC	Teams wanting broad NAC with a free plan
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$5,000/yr	Free plan · 30-day trial
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	30 days
Free trial length	30 days	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted	Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Integrations	20 integrations	12 integrations
Features PacketFence 4/4 · Genian NAC 4/4
Wired access control	✓	✓
Wireless access control	✓	✓
VPN access control	✓	✓
802.1X support	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Hybrid	Hybrid
Device limit	250 devices	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	802.1X, BYOD, guest access, profiling, posture, and remediation Free GPL-licensed Community Edition with unlimited devices Extensive directory, endpoint, firewall, and network integrations	Free Basic edition supports up to 300 devices Covers wired, wireless, BYOD, guest, and endpoint controls Connects through REST API, Webhook, Syslog, SNMP, and integrations
Cons	Cloud Starter is limited to 250 registered devices Self-hosted deployment requires internal infrastructure management Enterprise pricing is not listed with the plan details	Paid editions may require contacting Genians or a partner Not open source Its broad deployment options require platform planning
Our verdict	PacketFence is a network access control platform for organizations managing wired and wireless networks. It authenticates, authorizes, profiles, quarantines, and remediates devices through 802.1X/EAP, MAC authentication bypass, RADIUS,… Read the review →	Genian NAC is a network access control platform for organizations that need to discover devices, assess device context and risk, and enforce access policies. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and self-hosted environments, with… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PacketFence — where it wins

  • 802.1X, BYOD, guest access, profiling, posture, and remediation
  • Free GPL-licensed Community Edition with unlimited devices
  • Extensive directory, endpoint, firewall, and network integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Cloud Starter is limited to 250 registered devices
  • Self-hosted deployment requires internal infrastructure management
  • Enterprise pricing is not listed with the plan details

• Genian NAC — where it wins

  • Free Basic edition supports up to 300 devices
  • Covers wired, wireless, BYOD, guest, and endpoint controls
  • Connects through REST API, Webhook, Syslog, SNMP, and integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid editions may require contacting Genians or a partner
  • Not open source
  • Its broad deployment options require platform planning

• PacketFence8.5/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad NAC platform with strong open-source value and flexible paid support options.

  Visit PacketFenceFull verdict →
• GNGenian NAC7.8/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad NAC platform with a free Basic edition and wired, wireless, and endpoint controls.

  Visit Genian NACFull verdict →